I have a chewer on my hands....

[AriRio]

Good Morning!

I have a 7 month old who loves ties. He has chewed ties off my clothes, stole christmas prnsments and chewed the loop off, stolen face maskes and chewed the ties off and even got the tie holding the cabinet closed and chewed that up. He has food so hes not hungry......what can i do to deter this? Hes relentless

 

[game misconduct]

these puppy/dog chew toys they work if you can get him into chewing on these every cat i have been around just cant resist going for stringy worm type looking things this chew ball has lasted graycie a few good months but now has bits and chunks missing from it along with alot of cuts etc. on it but its lasted with all her gnawing/chewing on it.not sure but your kitten could still be teething .i think graycie still teething at that age. aside from that all you really can do is be on your toes and make sure things are out of reach and out of sight from him

 

[LTS3]

He could be doing it out of boredom. How often do you play with your cat? A few play sessions daily is ideal. A second cat often helps relieve the boredom because the two can play with each other. That might be something to consider.

Keep everything with ties, strings, etc in cabinets, drawers, etc out of reach from the cat. String-like things can be ingested and that can cause an internal blockage which means an expensive trip to the vet for x rays and possibly surgery. Blind cords should be tied up out of reach. Use child-safety locks on cabinet doors if needed.

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[dustydiamond1]

Gypsy isn't a chewer but I wanted something for tooth and gum stimulation. Over the years I've bought numerous types which she ignores except for these, she has loved them since the first bite. She has them scattered all over. I cut one of the stings off since she doesn't shew on them as some cats do, I leave one on just to make it a little easier to locate. Ebay has them new for the same price as Chewy.

 

[danteshuman]

My cat turns into a sucidial idiot around any kind of string, rubber bands, ribbon of any kind and weirdly eats ziplock bags! The only solution I have found is to remove all those things from my home, toss all rubber bands and floss in a trash can with a lid & be on guard at all times!

I’m not sure if your cat has PICA thing or is just an idiot about some things. Meanwhile find a way to hide or secure all dangerous items(baby proofing?) & give him safe alternatives (cat or dog chew toys (minus the ribbon), a cat garden he can safely eat, silvervine sticks, cat chew bones etc.)

Good luck & remember to never let down your guard. If your cat eats something it shouldn’t; take your cat to the vet immediately! It can kill them! I gave my cat 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil on his food for 3 days and checked his poop for the 6 inches of bouncy cord he chewed off a wand toy and ate. Most stressful 3 days ever as I watched him closely for signs of blockage & worried he would need emergency surgery! I wish I had just taken him to the vet for some extreme laxative! (Plus putting his poop in a ziplock bag and squishing it to see if he passed it safely yet is NOT fun! )

Oh and cat safe Easter grass (paper) has to be cut up into tiny bits because my idiot will eat it, then drag poop around the house on a paper string! Next year I’m using tissue paper instead!

I took a picture of the toy that was on the cord/wand toy before I threw it away.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I'm in agreement with cutting tails and not leaving things like hair ties around. I have one too that chews anything he can get hold of. And I've been there checking poop for tails off mice, the word's (omg what have you got now, do you have a death wish) have been said on a few occasions. I even hide wand toy's until I'm playing with him because he chews the elastic on those. Hopefully yours will grow out of it like my older cat did and is just still teething. Maybe you could talk to your vet check if he thinks it's teething or pica. Like danteshuman said don't let your gaurd down.

 

[danteshuman]

Yeah and my idiot suddenly decided he liked q-tips. He found one, was playing with one & then almost instantly bit off 2/3’s of one & ate it!!! Luckily it passed.

The good thing about rabbit fur toys it is digestible. Cami eats the tails off the fur mice and fur rats! So now I cut the tails off before I give them the mice or rats.

Paper clips, push pins, earrings, necklaces etc. are all hidden or thrown away in the trash can he can’t get into. Any small plastic things, small caps or beads or needles or safety pins, bread twist ties will be used as toy/food if he gets a chance! I hide all wand toys with bouncy cords unless I’m playing with him! He bit through his new/cheap Santa bouncy cord on the wand toy in an instant. If I had not been there, he would have eaten it. Instead I threw his now broken toy away & ruined his fun! Any wand toys with ribbon on it must also be hidden/used only under suppervision or the ribbon cut away.

Use cord protectors if you need to and do not leave any cords (like to your phone) lying around. My guy has a thing for my phone charger!

If you think your cat might or could eat it, make sure your cat can not get near it unless supervised. It is like having a baby..... with ninja skills.

Your cat will find new and exciting things to get into. I would suggest puzzle feeders & interactive toys that you rotate..... maybe some clicker training. A bored kitty is a destructive/naughty kitty ..... which in your cat’s case can be dangerous.

Plastic has some chemical in it that smells like meat. Which is why my idiot cat will eat things like a ziplock bag if given a chance. It is also why my cat tried to eat the sticky tape I bought to try to train him!

You can research PICA and talkto your vet about it if you think your cat has it. I’m not sure if there is medication or not to help with PICA but there is no cure. It is about managing your cat’s environment & some behavior modification.

 

[artiemom]

Be careful of plastic bags—-ribbon, etc

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

I have a large key holder (with hooks) that I got in a White Elephant exchange one year, and I hang all my "active" masks on there. It's right by the door, so it's easy to get into the habit of hanging my mask right when I get inside. The only time I didn't (my hands were full), kitty chomped on the mask's elastic band within two minutes, while I was still unloading groceries.

Added bonus: it's easier to remember my mask as I head out the door.

 

[nurseangel]

I have two that are approximately seven months old and seem to be teething. Sally just went to the vet two days ago for shots and a check-up; the vet said her teeth were fine. DH has to cut feathers off cat trees, tails off mice, the whole nine. I hope they grow out of it...they get lots of attention and play together when they are not eating or sleeping. We really have to watch the electrical cords...we'd never had a kitten chew one of those until Bree (Sally's sister) came along. Bree is also a shredder (once a shredder, always a shredder) and tears up cardboard boxes. Thank goodness she spits the little pieces back out. I wish you the best of luck and agree with the advice above, especially about taking him to the vet if he swallows something he shouldn't. I am going to get my kittens a chew toy! I didn't even know they existed until this thread. So thank you all!